Refrigerating apparatus with magnetic door seal actuated switch



Oct. 25, 1960 E. c. ARMENTROUT 2,957,320

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS WITH MAGNETIC DOOR SEAL ACTUATED SWITCH Filed Sept. 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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Oct. 25, 1960 E. c. ARMENTROUT REFRIGERATING APPARATUS WITH MAGNETIC DOOR SEAL ACTUATED SWITCH Filed Sept. 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fl erefz C. annex/ma a. H15 47' ORNEY United States Patent REFRIGERATING APPARATUS WITH MAGNETIC DOOR SEAL ACTUATED SWITCH Everett C. Armentront, New Carlisle, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,635

7 Claims. (Cl. 62-264) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to such apparatuses wherein magnetic means employed to hold a door of the cabinet thereof shut is also utilized for other purposes in the use of the refrigerator cabinet.

A lamp is employed within the food storage chamber of present day refrigerators to illuminate the interior of the chamber when the refrigerator cabinet door is opened. In some refrigerators, a forced circulation of air within a food storage chamber thereof is created by a motor driven fan or blower, which air circulation is desired to be terminated upon opening the chamber door and eX- posing the chamber to air ambient the refrigerator cabinet. Heretofore, two separate spring-pressed plunger type switches have been mounted in the door jamb of the cabinet with the plunger thereof projecting from the jamb for engagement by the door to actuate the switches in order to control the lamp and the fan motor. The projecting plunger of these switches, in addition to being unsightly and forming obstructions at the throat or access opening of a food storage chamber of a refrigerator cabinet, also interferes with cleaning of the refrigerated chamber t-hereat and are a source of trouble since the spring within the switches would frequently become broken, thus necessitating replacement of the switches. My invention is primarily directed to the elimination of switch plungers or buttons projecting outwardly of refrigerator cabinet door jambs so as to enhance the appearance of the forward portion of a food storage chamber in the cabinet when its door is opened and to overcome the objections mentioned.

An object of my invention is to provide improved means for controlling electrically energized elements in an electric circuit associated with a refrigerating system of a refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to utilize a magnetic means already present on a refrigerator to perform, in addition to its prescribed function of holding the refrigerator cabinet door shut, another or a plurality of other functions made necessary by features embodied in present day refrigerator cabinets.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch on a refrigerator cabinet which is actuated by a magnet enclosed in a gasket located on a door of the cabinet and employed to normally retain the door shut for controlling a portion of an electric circuit leading to elements incorporated in the cabinet to energize and deenergize these elements.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to provide a single self-biased switch on a refrigerator cabinet actuated from its normal biased position by magnetic means carried by the cabinet door for substantially simultaneously energizing a food storage chamber illuminating means and deenergizing a motor drivingly connected to a fan employed to circulate air within the chamber over an evaporator therein to cool same in response to shifting the magnetic means out of Patented Oct. 25, 1960 ICC cooperation with the switch by an opening movement of the door.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a front view of a multiple-chambered cabinet of a refrigerating apparatus with the door to the lower freezing chamber in the cabinet shown in open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating various electrical elements associated with the freezing chamber and the location of a switch cooperating with the chamber door, shown closed, for controlling the elements in accordance with my invention;

Figure 3 is a combined enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l and diagrammatical view illustrating the switch of my invention interposed in an electric circuit of a refrigerating system; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modification of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating my invention, I show in Figure 1 thereof a multiple-chambered household refrigeration apparatus including a cabinet 10 having suitably insulated walls defining an upper unfrozen food storage chamber (not shown), closed by an insulated door or closure member 11, and a lower freezing or frozen food storage chamber 12 therein isolated from one another. A door 13 is hingedly or pivotally mounted on cabinet 10, for horizontal swinging movement relative thereto, in the usual or conventional manner, which door normally closes the access opening of chamber 12. Door 13 is shown swung open about its hinges in Figure l in order to illustrate the location of a magnetically actuated switch on the cabinet forming a part of the present invention. The insulation 14 (see Figure 2) within walls of cabinet 10 may be of any desired or conventional material. Upper chamber in cabinet 10 is cooled to a temperature above freezing, such, for example, as between 37 and 43 F., by a refrigerant evaporator 16 (see Figure 3) of a closed refrigerating system associated with the refrigerator cabinet. Lower chamber 12 is cooled to a temperature well below 32 F. and preferably between 0 and 10 F. by another refrigerant evaporator 17 of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10 for freezing foods, storing frozen foods and/or for freezing water in freezing devices or trays. Chamber 12, beneath the chamber closed by closure member 11 in cabinet 10, includes a box-like metal liner having integral top, side and rear walls 21, 22 and 23, respectively, and a bottom wall 24. A lamp or illuminating means in the form of an electrically energizable bulb 26 is associated with or provided in chamber 12 for illuminating the interior thereof when normally closed door 13 is opened. This lamp is controlled in a manner to be hereinafter described. Bottom wall 24 of chamber 12 is inclined downwardly from front to rear thereof and serves to drain water from this chamber to a suitable drain outlet conduit upon defrosting evaporator 17. Wall 24 supports the finned evaporator 17, and this evaporator in turn supports a false bottom 28 provided with an integral upright rear portion 29 forming an air inlet shroud for a fan or blower 31 located behind an aperture 32 in Wall 23. Fan or blower 31 is directly connected to an electric motor 33 located outside chamber 12 for driving or operating the fan or blower. The inlet shroud 29 for fan 31 is secured or sealed to rear wall 23 of chamof the refrigerant translating device.

ber 12. Fan 31 is surrounded by a shroud 34 which is spaced from and joined to rear wall 23 of chamber 12 to provide a discharge passage 36 therebetween. Air is drawn from chamber 12 through openings 37 in the front portion of the chamber walls 21 and 22 by way .of a suitable collar or inverted U-shaped manifold 38 over evaporator 17 by fan or blower 31 whereby the air is cooled to an extremely low temperature. Fan or blower 31 discharges the cold air, cooled by evaporator 17, into passage 36 and forces this cold air therefrom through openings 39 near the top of chamber 12 thereinto over and around packages of frozen food stored therein or packages of food placed therein to be frozen. It is desired to render the motor 33 of fan or blower 31 inoperative when door 13 to chamber 12 is opened and, therefore, this motor is controlled in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Door 13 includes inner and outer pans or panels 41 and 42, respectively (see Figure 2), with insulation similar to the insulating material 14 disposed therein, and having a resilient rubbe=rlike gasket generally represented by the reference numeral 43 clamped between edges of the panels in any suitable or conventional manner.

.Gasket '43 extends continuously around door 13 and is provided with a bulbar portion containing a magnet 44 forming a magnetic means on at least three sides of the door, preferably along the top, bottom and the vertical side thereof opposite the hinged side of door 13, for attraction to the sheet steel cabinet front wall 46. The magnet or magnetic means 44 is of the now wellknown type wherein metallic particles embodied in a thin molded plastic or the like strip have been magnetized so as to provide north and south poles adjacent opposite edges of the thin strip magnet. These particles cause magnet 44 to hold the door 13 closed, for normally sealing the front access opening of chamber 12, due to the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the metallic outer shell of cabinet in accordance with usual practice. Sealing gasket 43 and the magnet 44 in the bulbar portion of the gasket is herein only briefly described, and I, therefore, make reference to the copending application SN. 833,166 of Carl F. Petkwitz, filed August 12, 1959, and assigned to the assignee of this application, for a more clear and specific showing of the door sealing gasket arrangement. I am aware of the fact that magnetically held closed doors are old in the art and novelty of the present disclosure resides in utilizing magnet 44 to cooperate with and actuate the switch in an electric circuit of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 11} to control another or a plurality of other means or elements in the circuit now employed in refrigerators for carrying out certain desirable functions or results.

The refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10 (see Figures 3 and 4) comprises, in addition to the refrigerant evaporators 16 and 17 for cooling the food storage chambers in the cabinet, a condenser 52, a receiver 53 and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device in the form of a motor-compressor unit sealed in a casing 54, all suitably connected with one another by pipes or conduits to provide a closed refrigerant circulatory system wherein the condenser forms a part of the refrigerant translating device as is conventional in the art. An electric circuit for the operative motor in casing 54, which drives the refrigerant compressor, forms a part of the refrigerating apparatus and includes the wires 56 and 57 for conducting electric current from a source of supply thereof to the motor Any suitable or conventional means, such, for example, as a thermostatically operated switch arrangement generally represented at 58 may be employed to control the electric circuit, wires 56 and 57, leading to the motor of the refrigerant translating device for energizing and deenervgizing same to cause intermittent operation of the compressor and predetermined refrigerating effects to be produced by the evaporators 16 and 17. In one form of my invention, such as disclosed in Figure 3 of the drawings, I provide a switch, generally represented by the reference numeral 60, enclosed within a nonmetallic preferably molded casing 61 and having secured therein stationary copper or brass terminals 62, 63 and 64. Casing 61 of switch 61 is inserted into a void or opening 66 provided in the sheet steel door jamb wall 46 of cabinet 16 and is secured to this wall in any suitable or desirable manner so as to be elongated in a direction paralleling the extension of the strip magnet or magnetic means 44 in gasket 43 on door 13 when the door is closed. Switch 6%} also includes a substantially U-shaped magnetically movable or tiltable iron or steel arm or member 67 with one or the lower of the legs 68 of the U thereof pivotally anchored and supported in a hole 6? provided in the inner enclosed end portion of terminal 63. The shape of arm or member 67 is such that the base portion 71 of the U thereof serves as a weight thereon for normally biasing this member, when switch 61 is disposed in an upright position as shown, away from the inner enclosed end portion 72 of terminal 64 so that the base 71 engages the inner portion of terminal '62. in the present disclosure, the overbalanced weight of U-shaped member 67 serves as the biasing means for switch -66 and eliminates the use of a biasing spring therein to thereby simplify its construction. Switch 60 forms a part of the electric circuit for the refrigerating system and has a wire 73 attached to the exposed part of terminal 63 and is connected to wire 57 of the circuit. Another wire 74 is connected to wire 56, in advance of switch 58-, and leads to the socket of lamp 26. The other wire 76 of the lamp socket is attached to the exposed part of terminal 62 of the magnetically actuatable switch 60 which controls or energizes and deenergizes the lamp 26 in a manner to be presently described.

When switch 613 is assembled onto cabinet 10, the weight of U-shaped member 67 in the vicinity of the base portion 71 thereof biases this member to the right as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings and depicted by the dot-dash lines therein so that the base 71 contacts terminal 62 to close the electric circuit from wires 56 and 5-7 through wires 73, 74 and 76 to lamp 26. However, as soon as door 13 is assembled upon cabinet 10 and this door closed, the magnetic means 44 is attracted to metal wall portion 46 of the cabinet to hold the door shut and this magnetic means also attracts movable steel member 67 of switch 60 to shift or tilt the U-shaped member about its pivotal mounting or support. The magnet 44 overcomes the normal or inherent biasing effect of member 67, and its shifting causes base 71 thereof to move away from terminal '62, as shown in full lines in Figure 3, to thereby open the circuit of wires '73, 74 and 76 to lamp 26 whereby the lamp remains deenergized and the upper leg of member 67 engages and is held by the magnet in contact with the inner end portion of terminal 64. As a consequence of the arrangement herein shown and described, switch 60 will, after installation of the refrigerator 10 and connection of the electric circuit, wires 56 and 57, to a source of electric current supply, be rendered effective to control lamp 26 in a manner that it will be energized when door 13 is opened to illuminate the interior of chamber 12 and will be deenerg-ized when door 13 is closed. Obviously and by referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, movable switch member 67 is attracted by magnet 44, while the magnet holds or retains door 13 shut against cabinet 10 to seal the access opening of chamber 12, so as to overcome the biasing of member 67 and open switch 60 to break the circuit through wires 73, 74 and 76 and deenergize lamp 26. When door 13 is opened, the biasing means, which in the present instance is the overbalanced weight of movable member 67 of switch 60, is rendered effective to shift member 67 about its pivotal mounting to cause its base 71 to engage or make contact with terminal 62 whereby electric current flows through wires 57, 73, terminal 63, member 67, terminal 62, wire 76 to lamp 26 and through wire 74 to the wire 56 so as to energize this lamp and illuminate the interior of chamber 12. This enables a person to clearly view the food content of chamber 12 and to remove a selected frozen packaged food article therefrom. It is to be understood that in this form of my invention, the fan or blower motor 33 may be controlled in any conventional manner to energize and deenergize same if desired.

In another form of my invention switch 60 is, in addition to being utilized for controlling lamp 26, also employed for controlling the motor 33 of fan or blower 31 so as to stop operation of the fan when door 13 to chamber 12 is opened. Thus, the normal biasing of switch 60 and the overcoming of its biasing effect by magnet 44 may serve a twofold purpose in a refrigerating apparatus so as to eliminate the use of separate spring-pressed plunger switches. In Figure 4 of the drawings, I disclose the motor 33 of fan or blower 31 as being interposed in a branch portion of the electric circuit embodied in the refrigerator to be alternatively energized and deenergized opposite to the energizing and deenergizing, respectively, of lamp 26. In this showing, a branch wire 78 leading from wire 74 is connected to motor 33 and another wire 79 attached to the motor is connected to terminal 64 of switch 60. As before stated, the magnet 44 on door 13, when this door is shut, overcomes the biasing effect of member 67 in switch 60 to hold the switch contacts or terminals 62 or 63 open for deenergizing lamp 26 while the door is shut. In this position of member 67 of switch 60, the upper leg of the movable member contacts the inner enclosed end portion 72 of terminal 64 to keep the electric circuit to fan motor 33 through wires 56, 74, 78, 79, switch terminal 64, member 67, terminal 63, wire 73 and wire 57 to thereby operate the motor to drive fan or blower 31 and cause a forced circulation of air within chamber 12. When magnet 44 is shifted out of cooperation with switch 60, such as by swinging door 13 open, the biasing of switch member 67 is rendered effective, in response to this door movement, to shift or tilt its one or upper leg out of engagement with the end portion 72 of terminal 64 so as to deenergize the fan motor and to move its base part 71 into contact with terminal 62 so as to energize the lamp 26. In this manner, the forced circulation of air in chamber 12 is terminated when door 13 is opened and lamp 26 is substantially simultaneously energized to illuminate the interior of chamber 12. Obviously, swinging of door 13 shut causes magnet 44 to be attracted to wall 46 of cabinet 10 for retaining the door closed and to again attract and shift switch member 67 to open the electric circuit to lamp 26 and to close the circuit to motor 33.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that I have made an improvement in refrigerating apparatuses and particularly in such apparatuses of the household type wherein an illuminating lamp and an air circulating fan for a refrigerated chamber are energized and deenergized, respectively, upon opening swinging movement of the chamber door. By employing a magnetic means already present in the construction of a refrigerator to overcome the biasing effect of a switch and to then render the biasing effect thereof effective to actuate same, I control an illuminating lamp and an air circulating fan motor in a novel and low cost manner. My invention eliminates the use of switches having a spring-pressed plunger projecting outwardly from the throat or from the vicinity of an access opening of a refrigerated chamber of a refrigerator cabinet to be contacted by the chamber door, and by such elimination, the throat or chamber opening can be made smooth, of pleasing appearance and readily cleanable. The employment of a self-biased magnetically actuated electric switch in carrying out my invention provides a switch for the functions described which is simple in construction,.not likely to become broken or inoperunderstood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls defining a food storage chamber therein provided with an access opening, a door for said chamber access opening movably mounted on said cabinet, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber, a fan for circulating air within said chamber over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device, an electric circuit for said fan motor and said device, means in said electric circuit adapted to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a switch on said cabinet interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said fan motor and said illuminating means, said switch being normally biased toward a position to open said electric circuit to said fan motor and to close the electric circuit to said illuminating means, magnetic means carried by and movable with said door, said magnetic means being located at a point on said door so as to cooperate with and actuate said switch,

said magnetic means normally retaining said door shut against said cabinet to seal said chamber access opening and to overcome the biasing of said switch for holding same in a position to deenergize said illuminating means in which holding position of the switch said fan motor is energized, and the biasing of said switch bein rendered effective by opening said door and shifting said magnetic means out of cooperation with the switch to actuate same into a position to energize the electric circuit to said illuminating means in which actuated position of the switch said fan motor is deenergized.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having walls defining a food storage chamber therein provided with an access opening, a door for said chamber access opening movably mounted on said cabinet,

7 a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber, a fan for circulating air within said chamber over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device, an electric circuit for said fan motor and said device, means in said electric circuit adapted to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a switch on said cabinet interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said fan motor and said illuminating means, said switch being normally biased toward a position to open said electric circuit to said fan motor and to close the electric circuit to said illuminating means, a resilient gasket on said door extending around said chamber access opening, magnetic means within a portion of said gasket adapted to cooperate with and actuate said switch normally retaining said door shut against said cabinet with the gasket therebetween to seal said chamber access opening, said magnetic means overcoming the biasing of said switch while retaining said door shut for holding the switch in a position to deenergize said illuminating means and in which holding position of the switch said fan motor is energized, and the biasing of 1 said switch being rendered effective by opening said door and shifting said magnetic means in the gasket thereon out of cooperation with the switch to actuate same into a position to energize the electric circuit to said illuminating means in which actuated position of the switch said fan motor is deenergized.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination,

'a cabinet member having walls defining a food storage 7 7 I 1 lating air within said chamber over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device, an electric circuit for said fan motor and said device, means in said electric circuit adapted to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a switch interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said fan motor and said illuminating means, said switch being normally biased toward a position to open said electric circuit to said fan motor and to close the electric circuit to said illuminating means, magnetic means located at a point on one of said members normally retaining the members in abutment with each other, said magnetic means cooperating with said switch overcoming the biasing thereof and holding same in a position to deenergi-ze said illuminating means in which holding position of the switch said fan motor is energized, and the biasing of said switch being rendered effective in response to altering the cooperative relationship between the switch and said magnetic means to actuate said switch into a position to energize the electric circuit to said illuminating means in which actuated position of the switch said fan motor is deenergized.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet member having walls defining a food storage chamber therein provided with an access opening, a door member for said chamber access opening movably mounted on said cabinet member, a resilient gasket-on one of said members extending around said chamber access opening, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet member including a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber, a fan for circulating air withinsaidchamher over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan-and an-electrically operated refrigerant translating device, an electric circuit for said fan motor and said device, means in said electric circuit adapted .to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a switch on one of said members interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said fan motor and said illuminating means, said switch being normally biased toward a position to open said electric circuit tosaid fan motor and to close the electric circuit to said illuminating means, magnetic means within a portion of said gasket normally retaining said members in abutment with each other with the gasket therebetwcen to seal said chamber access opening, said magnetic means cooperating with said switch overcoming the biasing thereof and holding same in a position to deenergize said illuminating means in which holding position of the switch said fan motor is energized, and the biasing of said switch being rendered effective in response to opening said door and shifting said magnetic means out of cooperation with the switch to actuate same into a position to energize the electric circuit to said illuminating means in which actuated position of the switch said fan motor is deenergized.

5. A refrigerating apparatus includ ng a cabinet having walls defining a food storage chamber therein provided with an access opening, a door for said access opening movably mounted on said cabinet, a resilient gasket secured to, extending around and movable with said door, a single element for retain ng said door closedagainst said cabinet with the gasket therebetween to seal said'chamber access opening, said door beingopenable without operating a latch mechanism, said single element comprising magnetic means disposed within a bulbar port on of'said gasket, said refrigerating apparatus also including a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet thereof having a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device, a fan for circulating air within said chamber over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan,-anelectric circuit for said device and said fan motor, means in said electr'c circuit adapted to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a switch secured to said cabinet and interposed in said electric circuit for controlling both said fan motor and-said illuminating means, said bulbar por- 'tion of said gasket being when said door is closed aligned with and traversing said switch whereby said magnetic "means'in said portion of the gasket cooperates with the 'switch for holding it in a position to energize said fan 'motor in which holding position of the switch said illumihating means is deenergized, and said switch being actuated in response to pulling said door open and shifting said magnetic means containing bulbar portion of said gasket out of cooperation with the switch for deenergizing said movably mounted on said cabinet, a resilient gasket secured to, extending around and movable with said door, a single element for retaining said door closed against said cabinet withthe gasket therebetween to seal sa'd chamber access opening, said door being openable Without operating a latch mechanism, said single element comprising magnetic means disposed within a bulbar portion of said gasket, said refrigerating apparatus also including a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet thereof having a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber and an electrically operated refrigerant translating device, a fan for circulating air within said chamber over said evaporator, an electric motor for driving said fan, an electric circuit for said device and said fan motor, a switch secured to said cabinet and interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said fan motor, said bulbar portion of said gasket being when said door is closed aligned with and traversing said switch whereby said magnetic means in said portion of the gasket cooperates with the switch for holding "it in a position to energize said fan motor, and said switch being actuated in response to pulling said door open and shifting said magnetic means containing bulbar portion of said gasket out of cooperation with the switch for deenergizing said fan motor.

7. A refrigerating apparatus inc'lndirn a cabinet having walls defining a food storage chamber therein provided with an access opening, a door for said access opening movably mounted on said cabinet, a resilient gasket secured to, extending around and movable with said door, a single element for retaining said-door closed against said cabinet with the gasket therebetween to seal said chamber access opening, said door being openable without operating a latch mechanism, said single element comprising magnetfc means disposed within a bulbar portion of said gasket, said refrigerating apparatus also including a refrigera'ting system associated with said cabinet thereof having a refrigerant evaporator for cooling said chamber and an electrically operated refrigerant translating dev'ce, an electric circuit for said device, means in said electric circuit adapted to illuminate the interior of said chamber, a swftch secured to said cabinet and interposed in said electric circuit for controlling said illuminating means, said bulbar portion of said gasket being when said door is closed aligned with and traversing said swtch whereby said magnetic means in said portion of the gasket coopcrates with theswitch for holding it in a position to deener'gize said illuminating means, and sad switch being actuated in response to pulling said door open and shifting said magnetic means containing bulbar portion of said gasket out of cooperation with the switch for energizing said illuminating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,676 Miller Feb. 3', 1959 

